Skip to main content
N I Direct government services

Main navigation

  • Home
  • News
  • Contacts
  • Help
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • YouTube
  • RSS

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Health and wellbeing
  3. Living well
  4. Healthy lives
  5. Healthy eating
  6. Food and nutrition
  7. Vitamins and minerals

B vitamins

There are a number of vitamins within the ‘B group’. They all have important functions and can be found in a variety of foods.

Vitamin B6

Vitamin B6 is also known as pyridoxine. It has several important functions, including:

  • allowing the body to use and store energy from protein and carbohydrates in food
  • helping form haemoglobin (the substance that carries oxygen around the body)

Vitamin B6 is found in a wide variety of foods, such as:

  • pork
  • chicken and turkey
  • cod
  • bread
  • whole cereals, such as oatmeal, wheat germ and rice
  • eggs
  • vegetables
  • soya beans
  • peanuts

The amount of vitamin B6 you need is about:

  • 1.4mg a day for men
  • 1.2mg a day for women

You should be able to get the vitamin B6 you need by eating a varied and balanced diet. If you take vitamin B6 supplements, do not take too much because this could be harmful.

Do not take more than 10mg of vitamin B6 a day in supplements. However, continue taking a higher dose if advised to by a doctor.

Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 has several important functions and is involved in:

  • making red blood cells and keeping the nervous system healthy
  • releasing energy from the food you eat
  • processing folic acid

A lack of vitamin B12 could lead to vitamin B12 deficiency anemia.

Good sources of vitamin B12 include:

  • meat
  • salmon
  • cod
  • milk
  • cheese
  • eggs
  • yeast extract

Adults need about 0.0015mg a day of vitamin B12.

If you eat meat, fish or dairy foods, you should be able to get enough vitamin B12 from your diet.

If you take vitamin B12 supplements, do not take too much (more than 2mg) because this could be harmful.

Niacin (vitamin B3)

Niacin is also known as vitamin B3. It has several important functions, including:

  • helping produce energy from the foods you eat
  • helping keep the nervous and digestive systems healthy

Good sources of niacin include:

  • meat
  • fish
  • wheat or maize flour
  • eggs
  • milk

The amount of niacin you need is about:

  • 17mg a day for men
  • 13mg a day for women

You should be able to get the amount of niacin you need by eating a varied and balanced diet.

Taking 17mg or less of nicotinic acid supplements a day or 500mg or less of nicotinamide supplements a day is unlikely to cause any harm.

Pantothenic acid

Pantothenic acid has several functions, such as helping release energy from the food you eat.

Pantothenic acid is found in almost all meat and vegetable foods.

You should be able to get all the pantothenic acid you need by eating a varied and balanced diet. If you take supplements, do not take too much because this might be harmful.

Taking 200mg or less a day of pantothenic acid in supplements is unlikely to cause any harm.

Riboflavin (vitamin B2)

Riboflavin is also known as vitamin B2. Its functions include:

  • keeping skin, eyes and the nervous system healthy
  • producing steroids and red blood cells

Good sources of riboflavin include:

  • milk
  • eggs
  • fortified breakfast cereals
  • rice
  • mushrooms

The amount of riboflavin you need is about:

  • 1.3mg a day for men
  • 1.1mg a day for women

Riboflavin cannot be stored in the body, so you need it in your diet every day.

Thiamin (vitamin B1)

Thiamin is also known as vitamin B1. It has several important functions, including:

  • helping break down and release energy from food
  • keeping nerves and muscle tissue healthy

Thiamin is found in most types of food. Good sources include:

  • pork
  • vegetables
  • milk
  • cheese
  • peas
  • fresh and dried fruit

The amount of thiamin you need is:

  • 1mg a day for men
  • 0.8mg a day for women

You should be able to get all the thiamin you need by eating a varied and balanced diet. If you take supplements, do not take too much because this might be harmful.

 

Share this page Share on Facebook (external link opens in a new window / tab) Share on Twitter (external link opens in a new window / tab) Share by email (external link opens in a new window / tab)

Vitamins and minerals

  • About vitamins and minerals
  • B vitamins
  • Calcium
  • Cobalt
  • Folic acid
  • Iron
  • Vitamin A
  • Vitamin C
  • Vitamin D
  • Vitamin E
  • Vitamin K

Translation help

How to translate this page

Help improve this page - send your feedback

What do you want to do?
Report a problem
Which problem did you find on this page? (Tick all that apply)

Messages

You will not receive a reply. We will consider your feedback to help improve the site.

Don't include any personal or financial information, for example National Insurance, credit card numbers, or phone numbers.

What is your question about?

What to do next

Comments or queries about angling can be emailed to anglingcorrespondence@daera-ni.gov.uk 

If you have a comment or query about benefits, you will need to contact the government department or agency which handles that benefit.  Contacts for common benefits are listed below.

Carer's Allowance

Call 0800 587 0912
Email 
dcs.incomingpostteamdhc2@nissa.gsi.gov.uk

Discretionary support / Short-term benefit advance

Call 0800 587 2750 
Email 
customerservice.unit@communities-ni.gov.uk

Disability Living Allowance

Call 0800 587 0912 
Email dcs.incomingpostteamdhc2@nissa.gsi.gov.uk

Employment and Support Allowance

Call 0800 587 1377

Jobseeker’s Allowance

Contact your local Jobs & Benefits office

Personal Independence Payment

Call 0800 587 0932

If your query is about another benefit, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

Comments or queries about the Blue Badge scheme can be emailed to bluebadges@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk or you can also call 0300 200 7818.

For queries or advice about careers, contact the Careers Service.

For queries or advice about Child Maintenance, contact the Child Maintenance Service.

For queries or advice about claiming compensation due to a road problem, contact DFI Roads claim unit.

If you can’t find the information you’re looking for in the Coronavirus (COVID-19) section, then for queries about:

  • Restrictions or regulations — contact the Department of Health
  • Travel advice (including self-isolation) — contact the Department of Health
  • Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccinations — contact the Department of Health or Public Health Agency

If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

For queries about your identity check, email nida@nidirect.gov.uk and for queries about your certificate, email covidcertni@hscni.net.

For queries or advice about criminal record checks, email ani@accessni.gov.uk

Application and payment queries can be emailed to ema_ni@slc.co.uk

For queries or advice about employment rights, contact the Labour Relations Agency.

For queries or advice about birth, death, marriage and civil partnership certificates and research, contact the General Register Office Northern Ireland (GRONI) by email gro_nisra@finance-ni.gov.uk

For queries about the High Street Spend Local Scheme,  email HSSS.mail@economy-ni.gov.uk.

For queries about:

  • Car tax, vehicle registration and SORN
    contact the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), Swansea
     
  • Driver licensing and tests, MOT and vehicle testing
    contact the Driver & Vehicle Agency (DVA), Northern Ireland

If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

For queries about your identity check, email nida@nidirect.gov.uk.

 

For queries or advice about passports, contact HM Passport Office.

For queries or advice about Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs), including parking tickets and bus lane PCNs, email dcu@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk

For queries or advice about pensions, contact the Northern Ireland Pension Centre.

If you wish to report a problem with a road or street you can do so online in this section.

If you wish to check on a problem or fault you have already reported, contact DfI Roads.

For queries or advice about historical, social or cultural records relating to Northern Ireland, use the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) enquiry service.

For queries or advice about rates, email LPSCustomerTeam@lpsni.gov.uk

For queries or advice about  60+ and Senior Citizen SmartPasses (which can be used to get concessionary travel on public transport), contact Smartpass - Translink.

If you have a question about a government service or policy, you should contact the relevant government organisation directly.  We don't have access to information about you.

Related sites

  • gov.uk
  • nibusinessinfo.co.uk

Links to supporting information

  • Accessibility statement
  • Crown copyright
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy
  • Cookies
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • YouTube
  • RSS